Hebru Brantley Announces Nevermore Park

Around seven or eight years ago, Hebru Brantley, a street artist from the Southside of Chicago, started using his now-famous Flyboy character in murals as a background character that quickly grew into the main character he now uses to drive the narratives of his art exhibits and installations. I remember seeing Flyboy for the first time in a black-and-white mural on the walls of Leaders 1354 when it was located in Wicker Park and thought to myself that this was a really cool simple character.

Now Flyboy and his female counterpart Lil Mama are getting a 6,000-square-foot home in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Nevermore Park will be an interactive art installation that is “a neo-futuristic take on Chicago — where black culture and heroes are at the forefront”.

“This project is about reclaiming history—both in the United States and the city of Chicago—through a lens that speaks to empowerment and giving agency to a historically disenfranchised community” says Hebru. The project is being made in partnership with Madison Wells Media Universe (MWMU) and his own Angry Hero entertainment production company and will be a ticketed experience with a limited run.

Diana Williams, Executive Vice President of Creative at MWMU, says that this isn’t a pop-up gallery exhibit. Instead, it’s a storytelling experience to push the idea that art is for everyone. Hebru reinforces this idea in an interview with the Chicago Tribune when he says “[The installation is] keeping that sense of wonder, holding on to it past the point of childhood into adulthood and passing that on to your children for generations to come.”

Nevermore Park is set to open in Fall 2019. Head to the official website to sign up for presale info. We’ll be sure to follow-up with more info as opening day approaches.